Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



No. 885,216. PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

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No. 885,216. I PATENTEDAPR. 21, 1908.

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JOHN ANDERSON, OF OLEBURNE, TEXAS.

MAIL-BAG CATCI-IER AND DELIVERER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Application filed November 7, 1907. Serial No. 401,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ANDERSON, oitie zen of the United States of America, residing at Cleburne, in the county of Johnson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail bag catchers and deliverers and has primarily for its object to provide a novel device whereby mail bags may be readily delivered and received from a rapidly moving train.

It is also an object of the invention to provide in combination with a device of this character a novel basket whereby the pouches being delivered from a train may be easily and readily caught.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel device wherein the shock imparted to the basket in receiving the pouch from a rapidly moving train may be compensated for in order to reduce the possibility of injury to the receiving apparatus to a IIllDlIIlllIIl.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel devlce to be carried by the car for receiving a pouch and for holding a pouch in proper position to be delivered to the receiving basket.

Finally, it is "an object of the invention to produce a novel device of the character noted, which will possess advantages in points of simplicity, efliciency and durability, proving at the same time comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part ofthis specification wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, which- Figure 1, is a view in side elevation of the receiving basket and delivery crane. Fig. 2, is a front elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a view in top plan of Fig 1. Fig. 4, is a view in elevation of the delivery fork on the car, said fork bein shown in applied position, the car being lus'trated in fragment. Fig. 5, is a view in side elevation of the delivery fork carried by the car, said car being shown 1n fragment, partly in section. Fig. 6, is a top plan of the delivery fork carried by the car, said car being shown in fragment and partly in section.

It is to be stated that the various parts of this invention, when possible, are made of piping and for the convenience of description, it is thought that it will not be necessary to refer to the various pipes and unions as they are of the well known or usual construction.

In the drawings 1, denotes a base which is intended to be embedded within suitable ballast adjacent the roadway over which the ,mail car travels. Extending upwardly from this base is a tubular standard 2, of such height as to meet the requirements of practice. On the top of this upright is secured a signal lamp 3. This lamp is carried by the upright in order to give suitable indication at night as to the position of the mail receiving crane to be hereinafter referred to. lamp forms no part of the present invention.

4, denotes the face or front of the receiving basket, 5, the rear or back, 6, the base and 7, the central partition dividing the basket into two compartments. As hereinbefore stated, these parts are formed of pipes or tubing and the upper tubings of the face or front 4, of the basket are extended beyond the ends thereof and curved outwardly as shown at 8. These curved ortions act as guides and facilitate the elivery of the pouch within the basket. Projecting centrally from the upper edge of the rear or back 5, of the basket is an arm 9, which is secured to a ring 10, loosely embracing the standard 2. Projecting from the lower edge of the rear of the basket and in alinement with the arm 9, is a second arm 11, angular in form and secured to a second ring 12, loosely embracing the standard 2. The extensions or arms 11, are connected and strengthened .by a bracing arm 13.

Intermediate the rings 10 and 12, the standard 2, has rigidly secured thereto'the ring 14, provided with the groove 15, which extends around the standard upwardly on an angle of approximately 45. The lowermost portion of the groove is opposite the roadbed or at that point from which the basket projects when in operative position. The arm or extension 1l,'is provlded with a projection 16,

It is to be understood that this which extends within the groove 15, and has mounted thereon a pulley 17, adapted to contact with the walls of the groove.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the force of the impact of the pouch in being received by the basket will cause the basket to rotate about the standard 2, through the medium of the loose rings 10 and 12. This rotary movement of the basket will also cause the basket to move upward on the standard through the action of the fixed grooved ring 14. When the limit of movement of the basket has been reached this grooved ring 14, will cause the basket to is mounted in a segmental bracket 29.

swing back to its operative osition.

From the foregoing it W1 1 be observed that means are provided whereby the basket and its parts are protected against injury as the shock to the basket caused by the reception of the bag is readily compensated for by the rotation of the basket on the standard.

It is to be observed that the top and ends of the basket are opened.

Pivotally secured as at 18, to the upper portion of the partition 7, are the oppositely extending forks 19, suitably curved so as to act in conjunction with the curved portions 8, of the front of the basket in the reception or catching of the pouches. The movement of these forks toward the front of the basket is limited by the arms 20, carried by the front of the basket with which the forks contact. These forks are held normally in contact with these arms by the springs 21, embracing the rod 22, which passes through the forks, through the arms 20, and the front and are suitably held against displacement. The springs embrace these rods and they bear against the forks and a head 23, as is thought to be plainly shown in Fi 3. In operation it will be seen that tie forks 19, will easily give to permit the pouch passing within the basket and the basket will be caught by both the partition 7, and the arms 20, and fall within the basket when it may be readily removed. As shown in the drawings it will be readily seen that as constructed, the basket permits the reception or catching of a pouch from a train moving in either direction.

Projecting upwardly centrally from the rear of the basket is an approximately L-shaped standard 2 1, which has swiveled on its free end the star wheel 25, from which is suspended .the pouch to be delivered to a train.

For the delivery of a pouch to the basket and for the catching of a pouch suspended from the star wheel 25, a fork 26, is rotatably mounted to one side of the door of a mail car. This fork comprises an angular body 27, and The lower end of the body rests on a foot lever 30, through the medium of which the fork may be caused to swing inward should such motion fail to result at the catching of the pouch. The segmental bracket 29, permits the fork 26, to be extended outwardly should the perfect operation of the device so warrant. To form the fork, the outer end of the body 27, is bent into a horizontal hook 231, and a vertical hook 32, as will be plainly seen from an inspection of Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The vertical hook opens in a direction opposite to the horizontal hook and is intended to support the bags that are to be discharged into the basket and in order that the pouch or pouches held by this vertical hook may be retained against accidental displacement by the transition of the train, the surface of this hook is roughened or interrupted by a series of lugs 33.

The horizontal hook is for catching the pouch suspended from the star wheel 25, and in order that the pouch caught from the star wheel may be retained by the hook 31, a spring pressed pawl 34, is pivoted to the body 27, and extends across the hook 31, as is plainly shown in Fig. 6.

The operation of the invention is thought to be obvious without a specific recital thereof.

What I claim is 1. In combination, a standard, a basket held by the standard, said basket being opened at its ends, and spring pressed forks acting in conjunction with a face of the basket for the reception of a pouch.

2. In combination, a standard, a basket held by the standard, said basket being opened at its ends, and forks pivotally carried by the basket acting in conjunction with. the face of the basket for the reception of a pouch.

3. In combination, a standard, a basket held by the standard, said basket being opened at its ends, forks pivotally carried by the basket acting in conjunction with the face of the basket for the reception of a pouch, and means for imparting movement to the forks in one direction on. their pivots.

4. In combination, a standard, a basket held by the standard, said basket being 0 ened at its ends, forks pivotally carried by tl fe basket acting in conjunction with the face of the basket for the reception of a pouch, means for imparting movement to the forks in one direction on their pivots and means for limiting the movement imparted to the forks.

5. In combination, a standard, a basket, rings carried by the basket loosely embracing the standard, a ring fixedly embracing the standard, said ring being provided with an annular inclined groove, and an extension carried by the basket projecting within the groove of the fixed ring.

6. In combination, a standard, a basket, rings carried by the basket loosely embracing the standard, a ring fixedly embracing the standard, said ring being provided with an annular inclined groove, an extension carried by the basket projecting within the groove of the fixed ring, said groove of the fixed ring extending around the standard upwardly on an angle of approximately 45, the lowermost portion of t e groove being engaged by the extension of the basket when the basket is in its normal or operative position.

7. In combination, a standard, a basket held by the standard, said basket being opened at its ends, a partition for the basket arranged intermediate its ends and transversely thereof, and forks on either side of the partition acting in conjunction with a face of the basket for the reception of a pouch.

8. In combination, a standard, a basket held by the standard, said basket being opened at its ends, a partition for the basket arranged intermediate its ends and transversely thereof, and forks pivotally held by the artition acting in conjunction with a face of the basket for the reception of a pouch.

9. In combination, a standard, a basket held by the standard, said basket being opened at its ends, spring pressed forks acting in conjunction with a face of the basket for the reception of a pouch and a delivery standard carried by the basket.

10. In combination, a standard, a basket held by the standard, forks pivotally carried by the basket acting in conjunction with a face of the basket for the reception of a pouch, and means for imparting movement to the forks in one direction on their pivots.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presenceof two witnesses.

' JOHN ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

E. R. BEDIGo, W. F. ScHE'NcK. 

